Boxing, Spinning, Fun: Chic Gyms and Fitness Centers in Manila
Scrimp on everything else except your health. This is sage advice from friends who have the enviable discipline-and time-to prepare their own wholesome dishes, hunt for organic products out of town, and go to the gym regularly. They will tell you that Manila has no shortage of gyms-the ones at hotels even have proximity to a spa and pool, and the privacy you need. Boutique cycling and boxing centers are made for people who feed on collective energy and the cheerleading of trainers. It is a good time to be fit in Manila, thanks to these workout venues.
UPSCALE GYMS
Kerry Sports
The array of workout choices at Kerry Sports is unparalleled in Manila. With 8,000 square meters, it has more than enough space for yoga, Zumba, spinning, and Pilates classes. Meanwhile, the Adventure Racing Zone has equipment for indoor cycling, rowing, and running. Kerry Sports also has a basketball court inspired by the NBA, a tennis court, and a gym that is open 24 hours-a great convenience for people who leave the office late.
This isn't just a place to work those muscles. After a workout, the Kerry Sports Spa, open until 10 p.m., can offer relaxation in the form of a therapeutic massage. The jacuzzi, sauna, and aromatherapy steam room are other options for post-workout de-stressing. Levels 5 and 6, 3rd Avenue Corner 30th Street, West Crescent Park, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
The Fitness Centre at The Peninsula Manila
The Peninsula Manila offers some respite from the city in the city. Members who take yoga classes enjoy a view of the hotel garden, the missing ingredient in smaller yoga studios. The gym equipment, each with its own video monitor, is from the brand Life Fitness, which developed the world's electric stationary bike.
The Fitness Centre is 300 square meters, but the coverage of an annual membership doesn't end there. Clients can use the hotel's 22-meter pool and the gym's sauna and steam room. Other perks such as hotel room discounts are also part of the package. 1226 Makati City (Corner of Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue)
The Health Club at Edsa Shangri-La
The newly renovated Edsa Shangri-La Health Club is mainly for the use of hotel residents, but limited spots are also available to those who are not checked in. Membership rates are an investment, but can be customized to include your spouse and two dependents.
The cardio area has machines that may be synched with smartphones. This enables the user to customize workout sessions, especially if heart rates need to be monitored closely. The Health Club also offers an exclusive triathlon training on a Tour de France indoor cycling bike and treadmill. A pilates spring wall is also on-site for those who want extra lower body toning. 1 Garden Way, Ortigas Centre, Mandaluyong City
TARGETED WORKOUT STUDIOS
Boxing at Flyweight
"We’re happy report that folks are losing weight and inches and fitting into clothes they haven’t worn since high school!" says Enzo Tañedo, operations chief at Flyweight. But it's not all about weight loss here. Women, who make up 80 percent of the clientele, also come here for the feeling of communal vitality. Unlike other boxing gyms, Flyweight holds group sessions matched with upbeat music. Those who want to go the traditional route may take "bag classes" that improve speed, power, endurance. Note: Two of the Flyweight trainers are competitive boxers. 8 Forbestown Road, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Indoor Cycling at Electric Studio
It's not unusual for people to go to Electric Studio in groups given that each class at the BGC studio accommodates 37, while the Makati branch can have 48 people at any given time. Think of the workout as a challenge-by-example variety: Many of your neighbors are hard at work on those bikes. The playlist soars higher than a cocktail bar's beats. Energy is the basic ingredient here. After a triumph in the 45-minute session-where the core, quads, glutes, hams, and shoulders are put to the test-you can graduate to an hour-long workout and tell your friends about the new level of your strength and endurance. 2nd Floor, 8 Forbes Town Road Fort, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; Ground Floor, Two Central, 107 Valero St. Salcedo Village, Makati
Indoor Cycling at Ride Revolution
Ride Revolution's Schwinn indoor bikes will help you burn calories and strengthen your core. Riders are asked to wear cleated shoes, which make the leg more engaged with the equipment.
Expect a dynamic full-body workout here. The trainers come from a variety of body disciplines: calisthenics, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, yoga, running, swimming, and weight lifting. No need to be intimated by the physical challenge-the studio even has clients who are in their 60s and 70s and kids as young as 12 years old. 3/F Steps Dance Studio, 8465 Kalayaan Avenue, Makati City; Unit GD107 North Wing, Shangri-La Plaza, EDSA corner Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City
